Yahya Khan and the creation of Bangladesh, 1969-1971

O Level Pakistan Studies History · Nationhood: 1947 to 1971. A short explanation of the idea, the rules to remember, the mistake to avoid, a worked example and practice questions with answers.

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The idea

East Pakistan had more than half of Pakistan's people but felt like the junior partner. Bengalis resented the early push for Urdu as the only national language, the spending of jute export earnings in the West, their small share of army and civil service posts, and equal seats with the West despite their larger population.

Sheikh Mujib-ur-Rahman's Awami League turned these complaints into the Six Points of 1966, a demand for wide provincial self-rule. Leaders in the West rejected them, fearing the country would break up.

In the 1970 elections the Awami League won an overall majority. When the Assembly was not allowed to meet, protest became civil war. India joined the fighting in December 1971 and East Pakistan became Bangladesh.

Rules to remember

Parity: equal seats for East and West, although the East had the larger population
Six Points, 1966: a federal, parliamentary system; the centre to keep only defence and foreign affairs; separate currencies or controls on the movement of capital; taxation by the provinces; separate foreign exchange accounts; a militia for East Pakistan
November 1970: a cyclone hit East Pakistan; the central relief effort was seen as slow
December 1970 elections (300 seats): Awami League 160, all in the East; Pakistan People's Party 81, all in the West
1 March 1971: the opening of the Assembly was postponed; 25 March 1971: army action began in East Pakistan
India backed the Mukti Bahini and invaded in December 1971
16 December 1971: Pakistani forces surrendered in Dhaka

Common mistake

Students say the Six Points demanded independence. They asked for autonomy inside Pakistan, with the centre keeping defence and foreign affairs; independence came only after the 1971 crisis.

Worked example

There were 300 elected seats in the 1970 National Assembly and the Awami League won 160. Why did this result cause a crisis?

A majority needs more than half: 300 ÷ 2 = 150, and 160 is more than 150.
So the Awami League alone could form the government and write the constitution on the Six Points.
It had no seats in the West, and the PPP, with 81 seats, had none in the East. Leaders in the West would not accept this.

Answer: One party from one wing had the right to rule the whole country. The refusal to let it do so led to the postponed Assembly and the war.

Practice questions

Try each one, then open the answer.

1. Which party won an overall majority in the National Assembly in the 1970 elections?

A
the Pakistan People's Party
B
the Muslim League
C
the Jamaat-e-Islami
D
the Awami League

Show answer

Answer: D. The Awami League won almost all East Pakistan's seats, enough for a majority; the PPP led in the West.

2. What was unusual about the results of the 1970 elections?

A
the PPP won a majority of seats in both wings
B
the two leading parties each won in only one wing
C
no party won any seat in East Pakistan
D
the Muslim League won most seats in both wings

Show answer

Answer: B. The Awami League won almost every East Pakistan seat but none in the West, while the PPP led in the West; this made power-sharing very difficult.

3. How did the cyclone of November 1970 add to Bengali grievances?

A
the central relief effort was seen as slow
B
West Pakistan refused all foreign aid
C
the cyclone destroyed the port of Karachi
D
the army was moved to West Pakistan instead

Show answer

Answer: A. Hundreds of thousands died; anger at the response added to support for the Awami League in the December elections.

Read the full notes

27. General Yahya Khan And The Creation Of Bangladesh 1971

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